the dead record

In business for a decade, Engineer Records are one of Britain’s finest Independent Punk labels. We spoke with label boss David Gamage about his thoughts and advice for artists wanting to find out more about the increasing influence of indy labels.

Dead Record: Tell us how you started Engineer Records.

David: I was helping to run a label called Scene Police back in the late nineties as well as playing in a couple of bands too. I loved the alternative scene and wanted to do all I could creatively for it – I still do.

The band I was in at the time slowed down on gigs and the other two guys running Scene Police had had enough, so I set up on my own with a new label, Engineer Records. Back in 1999 when I started it the label was called Ignition, but we had to change that to Engineer Records after about two years due to some hassle from Oasis’ management company!

Dead Record: What makes an artist stand out when you’re looking for signings?

David: Having been in three touring bands myself, playing over 800 shows and releasing quite a few records I knew how bands felt and what they needed.

I want the label to do absolutely everything we can to push and promote our bands and support their releases but it is vital that they are good enough in the first place and willing to put the work in themselves too. I look for good guys, whose music I like and who are willing to get out and play!

The band needs a certain originality to make them stand out, but I guess it’s down to my personal taste if I really like their music or not. I go see them play and meet them first if I can, to make sure they are cool.

Dead Record: What advice can you give to any bands looking to get signed?

David: Keep working hard. Get gigs. That’s vital. And network all you can and send out demos. It’s not a race, get good enough first.

Dead Record: How have the roles of labels changed in recent years and what do you feel is the best purpose of the modern record label?

David: Hmm. This would be different for each label and how they run things. Things have changed massively in the last couple of years. I think most bands expect a label to swoop in one day and have them on MTV and selling thousands of records and touring with Green Day and Jimmy Eat World within two weeks.

Man, we’d all like to but generally, it isn’t like that. It is hard work and takes time. A label’s job is obviously to release the records, but also promote its bands as best it can and help them out. I guess now you need to be a computer, internet and download specialist.

Dead Record: How have you adapted the label with the recession and the changing face of the industry?

David: It is quite hard to adapt as we are something of an old-school label running things with a passion rather than a huge in-house team, but we have managed it. All our releases are available for digital downloads now on over eighty sites around the world through Shellshock / IODA.

We have download albums and MP3′s on our label site as well as a MySpace site that gets huge hits. The recession coming along doesn’t help, but that is not the main problem. Most of our sales are at shows when our bands play – although we have distributors all over the world and our own website and partners – we are a punk d.i.y. label at heart.

Our website has always been quite slick but changing everything to digital distribution was a time consuming process. We have changed with the industry and are now doing better for it.

Dead Record: Do you still see a future for Indy and major labels as the music industry continues to re-invent itself?

David: I see a much better future for Indy labels like us. The majors will suffer more and more as the kids expect downloads free or certainly cheap, and that will concern them more them us. We’re in it for other reasons than just money!

Dead Record: What do you think is the biggest problem with the industry at the moment?

David: The toughest aspect currently seems to be bands getting decent shows. There are not enough alternative promoters or venues and that make it very tough for any new bands to get out there and get known.

Dead Record: What’s next for Engineer Records?

David: Wow, we have so much going on right now!

We have brand new albums coming out from Kyoto Drive and SpeakYourHeart any day as well as new EP’s by The Startover and The Separation soon too. As well as these four bands we have My So Called Life and Call Off The Search in the studio soon too and touring early 2010 in the UK, also Exeter and Sound & Shape touring in the USA.

We have several new partners around the world for the label which will increase our promotions even more and we are working hard to get our bands music videos some decent air time.

Dead Record: What bands are you listening to right now and who are your tips for 2010?

David: My tips for 2010 are the eight bands I mentioned above – they all really rock and will be blowing kids away all year, but I also expect YouMeAtSix to continue to grow and Kids in Glasshouses will get bigger too.

They are leading the way for UK acts right now. There’s a lot of good US bands, but their labels are big enough to promote themselves, so I’d say check out some of the great bands coming out of Europe. We have several and the level of demo we get from Germany in particular is amazing. You may not have heard of them but try new bands out.

Dead Record: Your favourite alternative classic album?

David: Wow, there’s so many bands and records that have influenced me in my musical career, from Minor Threat, 7 Seconds, Descendents and Gorilla Biscuits, through Braid, Promise Ring, The Get Up Kids and Chamberlain. It’s hard to choose, but certainly one of my favourites has to be Hot Water Music’s ‘Forever and counting’. That is an awesome record and one you can turn to for positive motivation whenever it is needed. In fact, I’m going to throw it on now!

Thanks for the great interview David and best of luck for the future. Check out Engineer Records for more info on the label and their releases.